Device for holding shoe uppers in lasted position



Feb.5,194e. c, A, ROB SON I 2,394,206

DEVICE FOR HOLDING SHOE UPPERS IN I ASTED POSITION Original Filed Nov. 17, 1943 Inventor UharZes f-Robznson 5 hifl'lfforny Patented Feb. 5, 1946 DEVICE ron nomniosrion orrsas IN.

LASTED PosrrIoN Charles A. Robinson, Salem,,Mass., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Original application November 17, 1943, Serial No.

1944, Serial No. 545,797

11 Claims. (01. 1'2 1c7) This invention relates to devices for use in the manufacture of shoes for holding the uppers in lasted position, this application being a division of a copending application of mine for Letters Patent for Improvements in machines for use in lasting shoes, Serial No. 510,654,1iled on November 17, 1943. A particular object in view is to provide a device for thus holding the toe ends of welt shoe uppers, and the invention is accordingly herein illustrated as applied to that use, but it should be understood that it is not thus limited in its applicability.

In lasting the toes of welt shoes it is the common practice to apply a binder wire about the toe end of each shoe to hold the marginal portion of the upper in upstanding position against the usual lip or shoulder on the insole and tofasten the wire by twisting its ends about tacks driven into the opposite sides of the forepa-rt of the shoe bottom. Later the wire is removed from the shoe and discarded. The present invention provides a novel upper-holding device, hereinafter frequently referred to as a toe binder, adapted to be quickly and conveniently applied and fastened to a shoe and to be used repeatedly in lasting different shoes, its construction being further such that when in place on a shoe it is especially effective in holding the upper securely in lasted position. The binder herein shown has a portion for engaging and holding the upper around the end of the shoe, and has at opposite ends of that portion thereof coil springs arranged to be tensioned lengthwise of the shoe and formed for attachment to the shoe in the angle between the feather and the lip or shoulder of the insole. The tensioned springs thus apply forces in directions parallel to the side edges of the shoe bottom to the portion of the binder extending around the end of the shoe to hold it at all times tight against the upper and in proper relation thereto. That portion of the binder and the springs may, as herein illustrated, be conveniently made of a single piece of wire. Associated with the springs in the construction shown, as permanent parts of the binder, are members for use in applying the binder and in tensioning'the springsand also in fastening the binder to the shoe, these mem bers extending through loops formed on the springs and having prongs arranged to be forced into the marginal portion of the upper and the lip of the insole when the insole has such a lip.

The novel features of the invention, including various novel details of construction and combi nations of parts, will now be more particularly Divided and this application July 20,

described with reference to the accompanying drawing and thereafter pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a toe binder constructed' in accordance with the present invention;

Fig.2 is a perspective view of the forepart of a shoe with the binder in upper-holding position thereon; and

Figs. Sand 4 are views further illustrating by reference to one end of "the binder how it may be applied and fastened to a shoe by the use, for

example, of'binder-applying means such as shown in the above-mentioned copending application.

The invention provides a preformed binder 2 which may be quickly applied and fastened to a shoe and used repeatedly on a plurality of shoes. The binder 2, in the form herein shown, has a portion 4 of resilient wire for engaging and holdingthe upstanding margin of the upper around the toe'end of the insole, the wire being coiled at its opposite ends toprovide springs 6 arranged to be tensioned'lengthwise of the shoe as the binder is applied to the shoe.' Formed at that end of each spring which is the more remote from the extreme end of the shoe when the binder is in place on th'e shoe is a loop 8. Associated with the springs, as permanent parts of the binder, are wire members 10 portions of which extend through the springs lengthwise of the latter. Each member ID is formed at one end to provide a loop l2 arranged to extend outward laterally of the shoe and also a prong l4 extending inwardly through the loop 8 on the end of the adjacent spring 6 to serve as a fastening for holding the binder on'the shoe. By engagement with the loops l2, therefore, the binder may be applied about the toe end of the shoe, the springs may be tensioned lengthwise 0f the shoe and the prongs It may be forced into the shoe to fasten the binder in place with the springs in tensioned condition. Preferably, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4, the ends of the binder are fastened in the angle between the lip a and the feather b of the insole at the sides of the forepart of the shoe by forcing the prongs through the upstanding margin of the upper and into the lip. It will be understood, however, that in operating on a shoe provided with a so-called shouldered insole the prongs would be forced into the shoulder of the insole. When the binder is in place on the shoe the springs 6 serve at all times to hold the portion of the binder which extends about the extreme end of the shoeforcibly against the margin of the upper. To limit the tensloni'ng of the springs, the members ID are provided with bent ends I 6 for engaging those ends of the springs which are nearest the end of the toe. Preferably small barbs l8 are formed on the sides of the prongs M which face toward the toe end of the shoe to assistin retaining the prongs in the shoe.

The above-described binder may be conveniently applied and fastened to a shoe by mechanism such as shown and described in the previously mentioned copending application, including two arms located respectively at the opposite sides of the forepart of a shoe in a lasting machine and having thereon means for engaging the ends of the binder. A portion of one of these arms is shown at in Figs. 3 and 4. Fast on each arm is a member 22 theupper end of which is curved inwardly toward the shoe and has thereon a pin 24 arranged to extend lengthwise of the shoe and to enter one of the loops I2 of the binder when the binder is presented thereto by the operator. By movements of the arms 2.8 lengthwise of the shoe the binder is pulled inwardly under the toe wipers 26 of the astin machine and against the upstanding margin of the upper and the springs 6 are tensioned. At this time the arms are far enough apart to provide clearance between the shoe and the prongs I4 of the binder, as illustrated in Fig. .3. There.- after the arms are moved inwardly toward the shoe to carry the springs ,6 to positions against the upper in the angle between the feather and the lip of the insole and to force :the prongs IA through the upstanding margin of theupper and into the lip of the insole, as illustrated in Fig. 4. The arms 20 are then detached from the binder and the .shoe is removed from the lasting machine. It will be understood that the binder will remain on the shoe until the upper materials have become permanently set in lasted position, after which it will be removed from the shoe prior to the welting operation foruse in lasting another shoe.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A device for holding the marginalportion of an upper in lasted position against a lip or shoulder on an insole around an end of the insole, said device having a portion for engaging the upper around the end of the insole to hold it against said lip or shoulder and having at opposite ends of that portion thereof coil springs arranged to be subjected to stress lengthwise of the shoe and to be fastened to the shoe in stressed condition in positions in the angle between the feather and the lip or shoulder of the insole.

:2. A device for holding the marginal portion of an upper in lasted position against :a lip or shoulder on an insole around an end of the insole, said device comprising a wire for engaging the marginal portion of the upper around the endof the insole to hold it against said lip -,or shoulder, said wire'being coiled at its opposite ends to provide springs arranged to be tensioned lengthwise of the shoe and to be fastened to the shoe in tensioned conditionin positions in the angle between thefeather and the lip or shoulder of the insole.

3. A device for holding the marginal portion of an upper in lasted position against a lip or shoulder on an insole around the toe end o the insole, said device having a portion for engaging the upper around the toe end of the insole to hold it against said lip or shoulder and having at opposite ends of that portion thereof coil sprin s arranged to be tensioned lenfithwise of the shoe in directions parallel to the side edges of the shoe bottom and to be fastened to the shoe in tensioned condition at the opposite sides of the forepart in positions in the angle between the feather and the lip or shoulder of the insole.

4. A device for'holding the marginal portion of an upper in lasted position against a lip or shoulder on an insole around an end of the insole, said device having a portion for engaging the upper around the end of the insole to hold it against said lip or shoulder and having at opposite ends of that portion thereof coil springs arranged to be subjected to stress lengthwise of the shoe, the device including also as permanent parts thereof fastenings arranged to penetrate the shoe in the angl between the feather and the lip or shoulder of the insole to fasten the device to the shoe with said springs in stressed condition.

5. A device for holding an upper in lasted position around an end of a shoe, said device having a portion for engaging the upper around the end of the shoe and having at opposite ends of that portion thereof coil springs arranged to be subjected to stress lengthwise of the shoe, the device including also as permanent parts thereof fastenings arranged to be forced into the opposite side portions of the shoe at points invisible in the finished shoe to fasten the device to the shoe with said springs in stressed condition.

6. A device for holding an upper in lasted posi!- tion around an end of a shoe, said device having a portion for engaging the upper around the end of the shoe and having at opposite ends of that portion thereof coil springs arranged to be tensioned lengthwise of the shoe and provided with loops at the ends thereof which are the more remote from the extreme end of the shoe, thedevvice including also as permanent parts thereof members arranged to extend through saidloops and to be forced into the shoe at points invisible in the finished shoe to fasten the device to the shoe with said springs in tensioned condition.

7. A device for holding an upper in lasted position around an end of a shoe, said device having a portion for engaging the upper around the end of the shoe and having at opposite ends .of that portion thereof coil springs arranged to be subjected to stress lengthwise of the shoe, and members connected to said springs for use in subjecting them to stress, said members having portions arranged to be forced into the opposite side portions of the shoe at points invisible in the finished shoe to fasten the device to the shoe with said springs in stressed condition.

8. A device for holding an upper in lasted position around an end of a shoe, said device having a portion for engaging the upper around the end of the shoe and having at opposite ends of that portion thereof coil springs arranged to be tensioned lengthwise of the shoe and provided with loops at the ends thereof which are the more remote from the extreme end of theshoe, and members having portions arranged to extend within said springs lengthwise of the latter and other portions arranged to extend through said loops for use in tensioning the springs and for fastening the device to the shoe by penetration of the shoe.

9. A device for holding an upper in lasted position around an end of a shoe, said device having a portion for engaging the upper around the end of the shoe and having at opposite ends of that portion thereof coil prings arranged to be tension d en thwise f the shoe. and m mbe s oonnected to the ends of said springs which are the bers for engaging the ends of said springs which are the more remote from the extreme end of the shoe for tensioning the springs, said wire members having prongs arranged to penetrate the shoe to fasten the device to the shoe and also portion arranged to extend through the springs and to engage the other ends of the springs to limit the tensioning thereof.

11. A device for holding an upper in lasted position around an end of a shoe, said device comprising a wire for engaging the upper around the end of the shoe, said wire being coiled at its opposite ends to provide springs arranged to be tensioned lengthwise of the shoe and having loops at the ends thereof which are the more remote from the extreme end of the shoe, and wire members permanently connected to said springs for tensioning them and for fastening the device to the shoe, said wire members having prongs arranged to extend through said loops and to penetrate the shoe and being themselves provided with loops arranged to extend laterally of the shoe for use in tensioning-the springs and in forcing said prongs into the shoe.

CHARLES A. ROBINSON. 

